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Campbell conquers all at Celebrity Lunch
If ever any proof was needed that the Monaco Celebrity Lunch networking concept has come of age, it was there for all to see on June 23rd. Not only was the event a complete sell-out, with a controversial and entertaining guest speaker, but it offered an opportunity for the UK’s Leukaemia Research fund to make important new contacts at a high level.
Organiser Kevin Marsh of Azur Productions had a waiting list of people eager to meet the charismatic Alastair Campbell and find out what this combative high profile figure was really like. The former communications director to Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is still advising the Labour Party behind the scenes, did not disappoint the packed Salon Bellevue at the Café de Paris.
Disarmingly he began by introducing himself as “the person the press used to believe was the most evil person in Britain, a position I did as a job share with Peter Mandelson, and now Tony Blair is doing on his own.” What came across was a man who is passionate about everything he does, is by his own admission very “black and white,” and who has a great sense of humour – see page two for interview.
He talked with warmth and undimmed admiration of Tony Blair and his decision to work for him; offered hilarious insights into the pitfalls of interpreting on the European stage; and described his charity fundraising work for the Leukaemia Research fund for which he has raised over a million pounds. It is a cause he holds dear having lost a close friend to the disease 13 years ago. For this event he donated his speaker’s fee to the charity.
Among the high level VIPs and personalities present were Erin Malone from the London office of the professional services firm Deloitte, and her partner Paul Trible. Deloitte has raised over £500,000 since it selected Leukaemia Research as one of its two nominated charities for two years.
In his introduction to the lunch, Kevin Marsh of Azur Productions, publicly introduced Douglas Osborne and Cathy Gilman, CEO and Director of Fundraising respectively, of Leukaemia Research; and Peggy Taylor from Golfe-Juan who organises events down here for the charity. “It is a great pleasure to be able to extend this networking opportunity to such a worthwhile cause,” he commented. “We sincerely hope they were able to make new contacts to support them in the life-saving work they do.”
Indeed enormous strides have been made in the 45 years since the fund was set up: “When we started, any kind of blood cancer was fatal,” explained Cathy Gilman. “Today, around 80% of children survive and 30-50% of adults depending on the type of cancer.” The charity needs to raise £22 million a year to maintain its current research programme.
Interview with Alastair Campbell
He was once asked by a journalist half way round the world from the UK in New Zealand what it was like being “an anti-christ type of figure.” Yet the man who engendered almost as many column inches as his boss when communications director for Tony Blair until 2003, came over as very different to his public persona.
Today Alastair Campbell’s main income derives from public speaking and writing. Does he miss the cut and thrust of politics? “In some ways yes, but I would say that I do it in a different way. I still do politics, I still advise the Labour party in various guises. For example, I went back for the last election for several months. What I don’t miss is all the attention and the press.”
Much of his prodigious energy goes into sport, participating in marathons and more recently triathlons for charity, mainly the Leukaemia Research fund.
“I took up running when on holiday in France. My children persuaded me to go with them. I’m a bit prone to doing things in excess so I decided straight away to do the London Marathon and with my profile being so high I thought I might as well use it to raise money. We made £350,000.”
In 2004 he switched to triathlons at the suggestion of Leukaemia Research: “They decided that the triatholon was under exploited. We are now the biggest benefactor by a long way, and have around 3,000 tri-athletes. We persuade individuals to raise money for the fund and in return we support them as athletes, help with training, organisation, where to get a bike, wetsuit etc, training days with specialist coaches. Yes, it costs money but the charity gets it back through the funds they raise.”
Does he target a particular area of research? “No. I know the charity well enough, it is what it says on the bottle, and I know it’s very well run. The incidence of curing the disease particularly in childhood is getting better and better.”
Final question - when will Tony Blair go? He laughs: “I really don’t know!” and he continued, “All I do know is that he has been and continues to be an extraordinary political leader. I’ve seen virtually every major political leader close up and I don’t think many of them get close to Tony in terms of ability to make change happen.
“He’s been a dominant figure in British politics for 12 years. When he goes - the same happened to Bill Clinton - everyone will say that guy was just a little bit special.”
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